


Fusion

by HamHamHeaven



Series: Hidden Bonds [2]
Category: Jrock, lynch. (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Magic Wielder Asanao (lynch.), Magic Wielder Reo (lynch.), Mentioned Other Jrock/Visual Kei Artist(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-01-07 02:45:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18401549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HamHamHeaven/pseuds/HamHamHeaven
Summary: When his travelling companions decided to stop overnight for some rest and relaxation, Asanao is tempted to break off and continue on his own right away.  The longer he remains, the higher the risk of detection.  He decides to stay, however, and that choice sets in motion events that will change his entire life.





	1. Chapter 1

When Maki, the self-appointed leader of their group, unilaterally decided that they’d be stopping in Saito overnight to relax and replenish their supplies before continuing on toward the foothills, Asanao was tempted to break off and continue on his own right away.  Staying more than a couple of hours in any populated area seemed like a foolish mistake; the longer he remained, the higher the likelihood that someone might figure out what he was and start trouble.

He quickly decided against it, however.  Journeying alone meant hiding and sneaking and taking long-abandoned paths that added days or weeks to his expedition in order to avoid unwanted contact.  That’s why he’d opted to join with the troupe in the first place: so that he could be just one of a dozen rowdy young men united for camaraderie and protection against bandits, hiding in plain view.  No one thought to question his presence, even if he didn’t quite fit the description of “rowdy young man” when considered on his own.  It was the perfect camouflage.

In the end, staying was the right choice.  Bartering in the market took much longer than Asanao had anticipated, partially because he was forced to stick close to the two youngest so that they wouldn’t be overcharged for the repairs to their boots.  Asanao found himself wondering, not for the first time, what it was about gold and silver coins that turned honest merchants into swindlers.  Under other circumstances, he would have simply made the repairs himself, but again, that was far too likely to arouse suspicions.  So he stood with his arms crossed over his chest, making use of what Kouichi dubbed his “scary face” so that his young friends could have dry feet _and_ full bellies.

The band converged on the village green when the sun began to set.  Because camping within the town’s borders was prohibited, they splurged on a room at the inn: the very _last_ room available that evening, the innkeeper informed them.  They drew lots to see who would get to sleep on the narrow pallet beds with their straw-stuffed mattresses and who would be relegated to the floor.  Yui only tried to cheat once; a sharp cuff to the back of the head from Maki straightened him out immediately.  Asanao stayed out of the whole process, declaring a preference for the floor.  No one really believed him, but four out of eleven was still better odds than four out of twelve, so they let him have his way.

Unlike the cobbler, the innkeeper’s wife charged travellers very fair prices, so they all ate in the connected tavern that evening.  Hot, hearty stew and crusty bread washed down with tankards of cellar-chilled beer.  Asanao ate and drank his fill, silently watching the antics of his companions with a longsuffering sort of amusement.  Perhaps he should have stopped them, cautioned them to slow down.  To save their purses and their heads the inevitable pain once the morning came.  But everyone expected young men to be drunk and merry.  It would have been suspicious for them all to be as subdued as he was.  Besides, Asanao wasn’t _forcing_ any of them to drink; he just wasn’t preventing it.

_I’m not their nursemaid._

He sipped his own beer slowly, allowing his eyes to wander the room and assess the other occupants with feigned casualness.   He estimated there to be an even mix of locals and guests.  The residents clustered together in the corners, limiting their interactions with the outsiders, though without any distrust or hostility.  Asanao got the impression that this was simply a matter of course for an inn in a town with a thriving market right along the Queen’s highway.  They were obviously used to people coming and going, and he could appreciate how much simpler things were when everyone minded their own affairs.  No, the townsfolk posed no threat, he decided.

“So sad!”

“Isn’t it!  To just… in public like that.”

“How could anyone have the nerve?”

The conversation flying back and forth over his head had finally become too loud to ignore, and he turned a disapproving eye on the miscreants.

“Who are you hens clucking about?”

Shuu sloshed alcohol down his chin as he tried to drink and gesticulate across the room at the same time.

“The weird guy pretending to read a book,” muttered Kouichi conspiratorially.

“What makes you say he’s pretending?” Asanao asked, craning his neck to try to catch a glimpse.  “Just because _you_ don’t know how to read.”

The others immediately pounced upon the comment, teasing and shoving Kouichi, who protested very loudly that he did _so_ know how to read.  Asanao thought that would be enough to distract them from their previous gossiping, but a literate man in a tavern was too sensational a topic to be dropped so easily.

“We’re almost sure he’s faking,” declared Yusa.

“We haven’t seen him turn the page once,” Chobi agreed.  “And every time the door opens, he looks up like he’s waiting on someone.”

“I bet he’s supposed to be meeting a girl.”

“ _I_ bet she took one look at that book and ran!”

The small crowd blocking Asanao’s view finally moved away toward an empty table, and he was able to see the person his companions were mocking.  Well, _some_ of him, at least.  He’d ensconced himself at the end of the bar in a darkened recess between the unlit stone hearth and a line of kegs, and only came into the lamp light when he leaned forward to reach for his cup.  Just then the main door banged open loudly, and Asanao witnessed first-hand what his cohorts were talking about.  The stranger’s head shot up, eyes darting toward the entrance, only for him to slump back into the shadows a moment later when he realized it was only some of the more inebriated locals stumbling off homeward.

Yusa and Chobi were correct, up to a point.  He was most certainly on the lookout for someone.  Yet, nothing about his posture indicated to Asanao that it was a sweetheart.  In fact, the glances the man kept throwing over the book’s leather binding were furtive, nervous.  Not the eager expression of a lover or would-be suitor, but someone who had an appointment with Trouble.

Which was a pity because he was, in Asanao’s opinion, stunningly handsome.  His hair was cropped close and stood in short, dark spikes from his scalp.  His face was perhaps more bronzed and weathered than was generally considered “fashionable” in the larger cities, but Asanao wasn’t one to be swayed by trends.  The man’s brows seemed to be drawn in a permanent frown; however, the quiet gravitas he radiated was rooted in gentleness rather than aggression, and Asanao could envision how beautiful his features would be with a smile to soften that look.  Such thoughts also lead him to imagine what it would be like to nuzzle along his strong jaw, the shadow of stubble on his chin deliciously rough against Asanao’s lips.

Asanao’s heart had begun to pound, the familiar tendrils of desire tingling at the base of his spine. He shook his head, trying to dissipate the yearning.  Fantasizing about complete strangers wasn’t the sort of thing he typically allowed himself to do, and he couldn’t begin to fathom what made him do it now.  Even so, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

“He’s definitely been jilted.  See how pathetic he looks!”

“Not nearly as pathetic as _you_ look,” Asanao declared.

His tone was harsher than he intended, and Asanao was instantly flooded with guilt for the hurt he had caused Shuu.  He reached out and playfully pulled at the scruffy whiskers on the younger man’s chin.

“Is that a beard on your face or a bird’s nest?”

Once again, the whole group took up the good-natured ribbing.  Someone offered to shave Shuu’s face for him so long as he didn’t mind losing a nose in the process; someone else insisted he keep growing the beard because he wouldn’t be _truly_ handsome until his entire face was obscured.  Asanao poured the remains of the beer from the pitcher into his young friend’s tankard as a silent apology.  Then struck by the sudden excuse, Asanao extracted himself from the noisy throng and grabbed up his mug.

“Bring us all another round, will you, Nii-san?” Maki requested when he noted Asanao’s movements.

The older man shook his head.

“You’ll have to fetch it yourself if you want another.”

“Why?  Where are you going?” Yui grabbed at Asanao’s sleeve.

“To make a complete fool of myself probably,” Asanao replied, his eyes drifting back toward the bar.  “We’ll see.”

Without waiting for the inevitable interrogation that was sure to follow that remark, Asanao moved away from the table, slowly weaving through the throng to the opposite side of the room.  He approached at such an angle that he’d be sure of being noticed before he got too close.  He wasn’t trying to alarm anyone after all.  Sure enough, the man caught Asanao’s movements in his peripheral vision.  The frown creasing his brow deepened the closer Asanao came, but he made no attempt to leave.  Asanao drew up and waited behind the empty stool at his side until the man had no choice but to acknowledge his presence.

“Anyone sitting here?” Asanao inquired as if he weren’t already aware.

He eyed Asanao warily for a moment before giving a little shrug and a shake of the head.  Asanao gave a nod of thanks in reply and slid onto the seat.  After a couple of minutes, the barmaid sashayed over.

“What can I get you?”

“A pint of the dark ale and whatever he’s having,” he pointed with a jerk of his thumb.

Asanao tossed a coin to her; she caught it in mid-air, bit it, and then shoved it into her purse.  Quickly she poured two mugs of beer – one dark and foamy, the other crisp amber – and set them on the bar in front of the two customers.

The other man looked up from his book, startled.

“Oh, I… that’s very kind of you….”

“Asanao,” he supplied.

“Very kind of you, Asanao-san, but….”

“Now you’re supposed to tell me _your_ name.”

“Reo,” he responded with a huff, apparently quite annoyed to have his rejection interrupted yet a second time.  “I go by ‘Reo’.  It’s kind of you to buy me a drink, but I really can’t….”

“I wasn’t being kind,” Asanao contradicted with a faint smile hovering on his lips.  “Was very selfish actually.  I wanted an excuse to talk to you.”

This confession surprised Reo out of his irritation; he studied Asanao’s face cautiously.

“An excuse to talk to me.  Why?”

Asanao took a long quaff of his drink and cocked an eyebrow at Reo.

“Because you’re attractive?  Because you’re alone and looked like you could use someone to talk to?” 

“Wouldn’t you rather converse with your… friends,” Reo glanced pointedly across the room to where Riku was attempting to arm-wrestle Kenji.

Asanao gave a snort.

“Those drunken idiots couldn’t hold an intelligent conversation if their lives depended on it.”

“And you think I can?”

Reo’s face remained an impassive mask but amusement crept into his tone.  Asanao turned on his stool to face his new acquaintance directly.

“I’m gonna do my damnedest to find out.”

“You’re awfully forward.  What is it exactly that you want?”

Asanao cocked his head to the side and considered how best to answer that.  He generally found candour to be the best approach, but there was such a thing as being _too_ candid.  Something told him Reo was the sort of man who appreciated finesse.

“I guess what _exactly_ I want depends in large part on what you’re offering.  Or not offering.  For now, I’m satisfied with having someone to talk to and ogle.  I may even flirt a bit if you don’t object.”

Reo gave a soft laugh.

“Would you stop if I did object?”

Immediately, Asanao sobered.

“Absolutely.  I’m not the type of person to intentionally subject someone to unwanted advances.”

“Hmm, then I’ll be sure to let you know if your… advances become unwanted.”

Asanao couldn’t entirely suppress the smirk produced by the word “if”, but he hid it behind his tankard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** Yes, another multi-chaptered WIP. In a new !Verse. Don't @ me. I'm not in charge here.  
>  **2)** I didn't see the point of tagging any of the boys in Asanao's group because they're not _really_ going to be characters. But if you're keeping score, we've got (and no I didn't do this pattern on purpose):  
> 
> 
>   * Maki - vocalist of Alsdead
>   * Kouichi - bassist of Kameleo
>   * Yui - vocalist of UNiTE
>   * Shuu - bassist of Girugamesh
>   * Yusa - vocalist of The Kiddie
>   * Chobi - bassist of DIV
>   * Riku & Kenji - different names for the same vocalist of Lin/Phantasmagoria
> 



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not super explicit, but still probably NSFW.

Reo could indeed hold an intelligent conversation, and before long, his reticence had melted away to expose his knowledge and enthusiasm for numerous topics: from food to music, poetry to politics.  Asanao listened thoroughly engrossed; every word the older man spoke absolutely fascinated him, and he was particularly gratified to discover that they had similar tastes in nearly everything.

As he’d warned he would, Asanao did shamelessly ogle and flirt, counting it a victory every time he could make his new acquaintance blush.  Centimetre by centimetre he scooted his seat closer until they were practically pressed to one another’s sides; Reo never rebuked him or attempted to move away, so Asanao took this as a sign that his overtures were welcomed.

“Care for another beer?” he offered.

“Are you trying to get me drunk?”

The mellow rumble of Reo’s voice and way his eyes twinkled when he smiled set Asanao’s heart fluttering wildly.

“Nope.  What I have in mind won’t work if you’re drunk.  Speaking of which, it’s awfully loud in here.  Maybe we could… find somewhere quieter to talk.”

Reo gave him an enigmatic look.

“Are you sure _talking_ is what you have in mind?”

Asanao was completely unfazed by the other man’s implication.

“I certainly won’t turn you down if you have something else to suggest.  But if talking’s all you’re interested in, I understand that.  We are practically strangers, after all.”

Asanao could almost hear the thoughts bouncing through Reo’s head.

_Should we?  Shouldn’t we?  What would people think?  Do I even care?_

Asanao leaned his chin on his wrist and waited as patiently as he could.

“I… have a room upstairs.  If you don’t mind the attention we’re bound to attract leaving together, you’re welcome to come up.”

The words were spoken in a murmur so low Asanao thought for a moment he might have imagined them.  He searched Reo’s expression for any indications of reluctance.

“Sure.”

He emptied his tankard with one last gulp, stood and stretched lazily.

“Where’s th’ privy?” he asked the barmaid in an exaggeratedly slurred tone.

The woman pointed toward the back, when without warning Asanao swayed precariously on his feet, intentionally falling against Reo as he did.

“Oy, don’t let him piss on my floor!” the innkeeper’s wife rebuked from across the room.

Reo gave an apologetic bow as he half-carried the suddenly-inebriated Asanao toward the indicated exit route.  As soon as they were out of sight, however, Asanao straightened and removed himself from the other man’s hold.

“In case you’d like an innocent excuse later,” he explained with a wink.

Reo rolled his eyes.

“I suppose I ought to thank you for the consideration, even if it _did_ draw more attention than if we’d just left quietly.”

He led the way up the narrow back staircase and stopped at the first door on the second floor.  The room exposed as he slid open the door was small and gloomy, but the high window under the eaves and lanterns dotting the corridor allowed enough light for them to see.

“Make yourself comfortable,” Reo suggested as he set about lighting a few candles.

Easier said than done.  The only place Asanao could have sat in the sparsely furnished room would have been the bed, so he settled for sliding the door closed and leaning against its frame.

“I didn’t want to ask where we might be overheard,” continued Reo in a hushed voice, “But you’re a magic wielder aren’t you?”

Normally, Asanao wouldn’t have even considered answering that question from someone he’d met only a few hours before.  No one in his right mind would.  He should have immediately said no.  Vehemently and vociferously lied through his teeth.  Yet, the truth fell freely and easily from him.

“I am.  But I’m not going to coerce you into anything, if that’s got you worried.”

“No, of course not,” Reo dismissed with a wave of the hand.  “I doubt you could anyway.”

Asanao didn’t know what to make of that statement until Reo reached out and casually brushed a finger over Asanao’s bare forearm.  To his shock, Reo’s touch sent something like a bolt of lightning ricocheting through him, leaving his nerves tingling and every hair standing on end.  For a fleeting moment, Asanao wondered why he hadn’t sensed the presence of another mage when he’d entered the tavern that evening, but it was obvious that Reo had been doing everything within his ability to remain undetected.  Now that he was no longer inclined to hide, power rolled off of him and tugged at Asanao like ocean waves lapping at the shore.  Irresistible.

“Gods, you’re strong.”

The words were out of his mouth before he had time to even realize he was thinking them.  Reo smirked.

“Isn’t that why you’ve been feigning attraction to me all evening – an excuse for us to talk magic alone?”

Asanao stared blankly at Reo.

“Who’s feigning?  I didn’t even notice your magic until you touched me just now.”

Reo’s tan cheeks darkened in the flickering candle light.

“I… oh.  You weren’t shrouding yours from me at all, so I assumed….”

Asanao most certainly _had_ been shrouding his powers; at least, he’d _thought_ he had been.  It ought to have worried him that Reo could see through his defences so easily.  However, he was entirely preoccupied with other thoughts just then.

“I take it that means you’re not actually interested,” he surmised.

He said it casually, as if he didn’t particularly care either way, but deep down he was disappointed to think that Reo was only attracted to his magic.  Undoubtedly that was better than being repulsed by it, but still, he’d genuinely hoped for something more.

“I… didn’t say _that_ ,” Reo shook his head slowly.  “It simply hadn’t occurred to me that you weren’t putting on an act, the way you did with the drunkenness.  I _am_ somewhat… surprised that you’d even entertain those sorts of… desires for someone like me.”

Asanao scanned Reo from head to foot and then back up again until their eyes met.

“Someone like you?  You really have no idea how gorgeous you are, have you?”

“It’s not a word typically used to describe me, no.”

Asanao leaned closer, gaze riveted to Reo’s.  Too close for good manners, yet not nearly as close as he wanted to be.

“I think you’d better tell me to stop now,” he stated, his voice gruff even to his own ears.  “Because if you don’t, I’m almost certainly going to kiss you.”

Something unreadable flitted across Reo’s expression for an instant, yet he didn’t say a word.  The stillness of the cramped room amplified the sounds of their breathing, the faint sizzling hiss of the burning candle wicks, and the hammering of Asanao’s pulse in his ears.  It was more than Asanao could endure.  With a groan of need, he cupped Reo’s face in his hands and pressed their lips together.  It was soft and sweet, not the sort of kiss Reo had expected from the younger man at all, and over surprisingly quickly.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” purred Asanao, his thumbs stroking over the apple of Reo’s cheeks.

“Really?  All night?”

Asanao hummed in affirmation.

“From the moment I laid eyes on you.  Sorry if that makes me sound shallow.”

Reo gave a dry chuckle.

“I suppose I could be persuaded to forgive you… if you kiss me like that again.”

Asanao didn’t need to be asked twice.  He pressed another kiss to the older man’s lips, and another, revelling in the way Reo’s eyelids fluttered closed and his hands clenched at the fabric of Asanao’s kimono.  Their lips moving in tandem.  Reo’s arms wound around Asanao’s waist, drawing him closer, as instinctually as if they’d held each other a million times before.

Without breaking contact, Asanao deftly manoeuvred them over to the bed, pressing Reo gently down onto his back and eagerly crawling over him.  Reo’s arms stayed around Asanao, stroking over shoulders and spine.

“I never do this,” Reo whispered between kisses.

Asanao’s lips moved over Reo’s jaw, just as he’d fantasized of doing earlier that evening, making note of each spot that made Reo squirm.

“Do what?” he asked.

The heat of his breath against Reo’s skin made the older mage tremble, eagerness he’d never before experienced bubbling in his chest.

“Fall into bed with someone I‘ve only just met.”

That made Asanao chuckle.

“Might surprise you, but I don’t make a habit of it either.  Not that I’d judge you if you did.  It’s your body; do with it what you like.”

“It’s just that I….”

Reo struggled to focus his thoughts and say what needed to be said rather than lose himself in the blissful sensations Asanao’s touch was producing.

“I… d-don’t really like sex.”

Asanao’s lips returned to Reo’s mouth, tender and coaxing.

“That’s fine.  We won’t do anything you don’t want.  I’m perfectly content to lie here and kiss you all night.”

“But I… want… you.”

Asanao could hear the uncertainty and frustration in Reo’s voice.

“You have me, Reo-san,” he murmured.  “Any way you want me, you have me.”

Reo closed his eyes once more and tried to relax.  For a while, he remained passive, allowing Asanao to do as he pleased without participating much.  But the yearning and _affection_ saturating the atmosphere soon overcame him, and he began to explore his new lover with tentative kisses and hesitant touches.

Asanao made no comment when Reo’s hands began to work open the knots of their obi and loosen their kimono enough to expose more skin; he merely shifted his weight to make things easier and continued nibbling at Reo’s neck.  Warm palms sneaked under the cotton fabric; Asanao shivered at calloused fingers playing over his sides.

“Don’t tell me you’re ticklish,” quipped Reo.

Asanao gave something like a growl of warning; Reo ignored the implicit threat and continued to map out the other mage’s body, drawing mental images from what his hands were showing him.  He could follow every rib, count the ridge of each vertebrae, feel the play of the muscles under the taut flesh.  Asanao was all sinew and bones, not a scrap of fat anywhere, and Reo wondered for a fleeting moment what the younger man had been doing to have gotten so thin.  Or perhaps he was just naturally lean.

“I… I want,” he whispered, lapping at the beads of sweat pooling in the hollow of Asanao’s clavicle.

Asanao ran his hands through Reo’s hair, mesmerized by its softness.

“Want what?”

“I want to see you,” confessed Reo quietly.  “ _All_ of you.”

That wasn’t anything Asanao had expected to hear, but he nodded without hesitation.

“Okay.”

Asanao shifted to sit up and remove his clothing, a hiss escaping from his lips at the pleasurable friction the movement produced.

“W-wait,” Reo panted, grabbing at his shoulders.  “Y-you don’t….  I can….”

He gave a flick of his wrist, and suddenly Asanao’s clothing was in a heap on the floor.  Even the strip of leather tying back his long hair had disappeared.  The younger man gaped in surprise.

“You’ve gotta teach me that trick,” he said with a grin.

Reo blushed.

“Wh-when I concentrate properly, they actually end up neatly folded in a stack, but….”

Asanao bent down again and kissed him languidly.

“I’d find it vaguely insulting if you could concentrate that well right now.”

With that, Asanao sat back on Reo’s legs and permitted the older man the view he’d asked for.  Asanao didn’t consider his body to be anything impressive, but he wasn’t exactly modest about it either.  He was, in general, entirely indifferent.  Even so, the way Reo examined him so minutely was rather titillating.

It was like being the newest specimen in the collection of some illustrious naturalist.  Reo traced the patterns of black ink decorating both of Asanao’s upper arms with the tip of his middle finger, as if he were reading lines of text in a book.  He noted the shaved patches of scalp above Asanao’s ears and studied the planes of Asanao’s torso: abdominal muscles, pectorals, the slight indentation at the base of his sternum.  His gaze strayed only briefly below Asanao’s navel before quickly turning away, but the younger man didn’t take that as an insult.  Though unwilling to look, Reo’s hands did linger on Asanao’s hips and thighs, learning by touch rather than sight.

“Thank you,” he said at last.

It was such an odd thing to be thanked for that Asanao couldn’t help teasing lightly.

“Any time.  Happy to oblige.”

“Should I?” Reo gestured toward his own sleeve with reluctance. 

The flash of desire in Asanao’s eyes was unmistakeable, yet his smile held nothing but reassurance.

“Only if you want to.”

“It hardly seems fair for you to be the only one naked,” argued Reo.

Asanao places a fist on either side of Reo’s head and bent down until the tips of their noses brushed.

“What’s unfair is if I’m the only one _comfortable_.  Don’t feel obligated to take everything off if you’d rather not.  Hells, don’t feel obligated to take _anything_ off.”

He punctuated his declaration with a kiss; Reo immediately twined his arms around Asanao’s neck and returned it fervently.  For several moments, words were entirely forgotten.  Finally, Reo gave another flick of his wrist, slightly more elaborate this time, and his clothing joined Asanao’s garments on the floor.  Asanao cocked an eyebrow when the layers of fabric between them disappeared.

“You sure this is okay?” he asked.

“Mm, just… hands above the waist?  Please?”

“Absolutely.”

Asanao didn’t try to push for more, didn’t even _want_ to, despite the proof of how eagerly his lover’s body responded to him pressing rather insistently against his belly.  It was enough to have Reo’s taste on his tongue.  To hear him sigh and groan.  To feel his hips jerk upward involuntarily and the rough pads of his fingers clutch almost painfully at Asanao’s upper arms whenever Asanao happened upon a particularly sensitive spot.  Something he apparently had a knack for.

The world around them faded until it seemed that nothing beyond the edges of the small bed even existed.  Heated kisses and soothing caresses left Asanao high on sensation.  Euphoria more potent than any herb he’d ever smoked or alcohol he’d ever drunk.  Asanao had never in his life been as content as he was in Reo’s arms.

_I wouldn’t mind holding him like this forever._

Although time slowed, the candles eventually burned out and the silvery shaft of moonlight disappeared below the window sill, leaving them entwined in the darkness. 

“It’s… very late,” Asanao mumbled, more to himself than anything.

Warm and sated, he was having a terrible time staying awake.  Reo gave a hum of agreement.

“I should… probably go.”

“Or… you could… stay.”

Asanao turned his head and cracked open one eye to survey his lover’s silhouette.

“You sure?”

Reo was silent for a few seconds before giving a firm nod.

“Yes.”

Asanao smiled tiredly and rolled onto his side, pulling Reo with him in an affectionate embrace.  His lips trailed sleepily over the older man’s collar bone, then he settled his head against Reo’s shoulder.  In the stillness, Asanao’s magic thrummed with happiness.


	3. Chapter 3

Nature didn’t care that they’d gone to bed unreasonably late.  The chickens began their morning ruckus with the sun’s first rays as usual, and the servants who worked in the kitchens weren’t long behind.  Habit had Asanao rousing with them, but he was so comfortable that he tried to ignore the noise and brightening sky as long as possible.  Keeping his eyes tightly shut, he drew Reo closer to his chest and began contemplating what the day ahead would bring.

His travelling companions would need to be awakened before they could be charged for a second day’s use of the room.  They’d probably all need to soak their heads in some cold water to dissipate their hangovers, but Asanao was sure that they’d still manage to wolf down an enormous breakfast.  Then they’d grumble and complain as they gathered up whatever of their belongings they’d removed from their packs.  And afterwards…?

Well, then it would be time to go, wouldn’t it?  Back to the road and the continuation of their journey.  Except that he had no idea what Reo’s journey entailed, and no reason to think the older mage would be following the same route.  Which meant saying goodbye.  Parting company, perhaps with one last kiss to seal it, then possibly… _probably_ … never seeing one another ever again.  The idea made his stomach churn with nausea, bile rising in the back of his throat until he gagged.

_I said last night I was going to make a fool of myself over him.  How right I was!_

He tried to think of a way to circumvent the inevitable.  A way to be _sure_ that if they had to say ‘goodbye’, it wouldn’t be forever.  Each scenario was more implausible than the last, and his heart grew heavier with each passing minute.  His arms tightened around Reo, causing the older man to stir.

“Oh, you’re still here.”

The words rang like an accusation in Asanao’s ears, though it was impossible to actually tell from Reo’s drowsy tone whether he’d meant it as a complaint or merely an observation.

“Was just going,” mumbled Asanao, crawling awkwardly over Reo to search for his discarded clothes.

Asanao did his best to ignore the misery pooling in his chest as he hastily dressed.  He couldn’t bring himself to turn and face Reo; whatever the older man’s expression – guilt, relief, annoyance, _regret_ – it was sure to tear at him.  And the silence lingering between them spoke volumes as far as he was concerned.  Deciding to finish elsewhere, Asanao tossed his remaining garments over his arm and retreated toward the door.

He was half-way into the corridor when a sharp cry of pain arrested him.  In the centre of the dishevelled bedclothes, Reo sat hunched over, his hand pressed to his sternum.  His breath was coming in shallow, uneven gasps, and though tiny beads of perspiration dotted his flesh, he shivered violently.  Asanao was back at his side in an instant.

“What happened?”

Reo grimaced, but didn’t seem to have enough air in his lungs to formulate a proper answer.  Asanao seated himself back on the bed, drawing a blanket around the older man; Reo collapsed against him.

“Easy now,” Asanao murmured, stroking soothingly along Reo’s spine.  “Just relax and try to breathe normally.”

The healing arts weren’t Asanao’s area of expertise, but he knew enough combat medicine to assess injuries.  He let his magic run over Reo’s frame, and a strange wave of relief passed through his own as he did.  Not finding anything in particular amiss besides general symptoms of panic and residual pain, he threaded a mild revitalizing spell into his touch.

Reo’s aura absorbed it as easily as if it had been his own magic, which struck Asanao as peculiar.  Even when one person willingly accepted treatment from another, there was always a hint of resistance at first.  Some friction.  Each wielder was unique, and so each wielder’s magic was unique.  He pushed that thought to one side, focusing on the way Reo’s respiration and heart rate were returning to normal.

“That’s it,” he encouraged, giving the other mage an impulsive kiss.  “Better now?”

Something like confusion passed over Reo’s expression.

“Completely.  The pain’s _completely_ gone.  Like it never happened.”

“Well, that’s… good.  Unusual, but good.  What sort of pain was it?”

“It was like someone was trying to rip my magic out through my chest.”

“What?!” 

Asanao’s eyes darted around the room, hunting for anything suspicious to explain this sudden attack.  At the younger man’s exclamation, Reo experienced a surge of power-laced adrenaline, as if _he_ had been the one receiving startling information.  His mind raced as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

“Kiss me again,” he ordered impetuously.

Worried as he was, Asanao had no problem obliging, though the gentle press of lips he’d intended soon shifted into something far hungrier and more desperate, with Reo climbing right into his lap.

“Well, damn,” he panted.

“Wh-what have you done to me?” Reo gasped, his brows drawing back into their usual frown.

The sudden accusation stung.

“Nothing!” replied Asanao defensively.  “Well, other than kiss you like you asked me to.  And make love to you.”

“No, not _that_ ,” Reo muttered.

His ears and neck burned at the flood of memories of everything that had happened the night before with Asanao.  What he’d done and said; the noises he’d made.  How exposed and vulnerable he’d allowed himself to be.  It was all so incredibly embarrassing, that…

_Not the point, Reo!  Focus._

He _did_ focus.  He concentrated all of his attention on the magic churning within him and found, to his bewilderment, that it didn’t feel quite like his own magic any longer.  It _was_ , and yet it wasn’t.  It was… stronger.  More complex.  There was a… sharpness to it that hadn’t been there before.  Like the honed edge of a sword blade.  Reo recoiled from this new, lethal power, but it followed him.

“This isn’t right.  This isn’t _normal_.”

“Calm down, Love,” Asanao’s low voice murmured in his ear.  “Whatever it is, panicking won’t help.”

The dread swelling in Reo’s chest instantly abated, which puzzled him still more.  When did anyone ever become less anxious simply from being told to calm down?  He leaned his head against the younger mage’s shoulder and tried to be _rational_ in his analysis of the situation.

It was then he noticed the flow of magic.  His own magic.  Pouring _into_ him via the gentle caresses along his spine.  Through Asanao’s hands.

“Don’t you feel that?”

“Feel _what_?”

“ _Me_ … in you?”

Asanao managed to bite back the lewd reply that sprang to his lips just in time.  The thought of Reo inside of him produced a fierce craving, but that obviously wasn’t what the older man had meant.

“In me…?”

With a growl of irritation, Reo tugged Asanao’s hand from his waist and held it palm-up between them.  Asanao was about to ask what exactly Reo was planning to do when there was a vigorous pull on his magic.  Not an _attack_.  Not a push from an external force.  A _pull_ from within.  A redirection of the current, out of his core into his limb, which he himself had _not_ caused.  And then thousands of powdery blue flowers were exploding from his hand, showering the bedding and floor.

Reo stared at the heap of petals in Asanao’s outstretched palm, not yet ready to accept that his suspicion had been correct.  But it didn’t matter whether he was ready, because Asanao was there, asking the obvious question.

“Okay, yeah, I felt _that_.  What’s going on?  How did you do that?”

Reo sighed and dropped his head to the younger man’s shoulder once again; immediately Asanao resumed caressing his back.

“I think… our magics may have fused.”

“Fused?”

“Bonded.  Like… two coins melted down into a single lump of metal.”

Asanao had never heard of such a thing.

“Does that… can that even happen?”

Reo nodded vaguely.

“It’s mentioned a few of the ancient texts I’ve studied, although I don’t remember ever seeing an explanation as to how or why it occurs.”

_Or if it’s reversible._

“Did they at least explain what it does, or a way we could… test to find out for sure?”

Reo closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember the scraps of information he’d read.  Concentrating was difficult with Asanao so close, warm and strong and enticingly.

“If memory serves,” he murmured slowly, “I think the practical result of such a fusion is that you can… tap into my magic, and I can utilize yours.  The well’s twice as deep now, so to speak.  As to testing, it seems likely that attempting something neither of us could do on his own would give us a good indication.  Is there something you couldn’t do before: a spell that used to be too powerful or require too much control?”

Asanao gave a low scoff.

“Lots of things.  Nothing I’d risk trying indoors in a crowded inn, though.  Might accidentally kill someone.”

Once again, Reo made note of the acute menace newly present in their magic.

_Exactly what sort of magic wielder was Asanao anyway?_

“F-fine.  Let me….”

Now that he was actually thinking of it, Reo had difficulty coming up with any ideas.  Whatever he tried needed to be something beyond his normal abilities, but he didn’t want to choose something so outrageously difficult that failure would be meaningless.  He also didn’t want to make a fool of himself after Asanao had been so impressed by his abilities.  

All magic was rooted in Nature and Natural forces, which meant that the most difficult spells tended to be things that went against the Natural order.  What could he do?  What could he try that would confirm his hypothesis?  He glanced down at the delicate blossoms still dusting his lap.  They looked like a blanket of pale periwinkle snow. 

That sparked an idea.  He closed his eyes, concentrating on drawing the heat of the room toward himself and his companion, enticing the moisture in the atmosphere to condense.  Before long, cold, wet droplets began landing on his bare skin; the spell was working.

“Snow!” Asanao exclaimed with hushed reverence.  “You’re making it snow.”

 _“We_ are,” Reo reminded him.

Asanao watched in fascination at the fluffy white flakes drifting down on them from the ceiling, noting the pulse within himself of the magic being used.

“So we are,” he agreed.  “Better stop, though, before someone notices our summertime blizzard and starts asking awkward questions.”

Reo gave a heavy exhale, and both the snowflakes and flower petals dissolved in a shimmering haze.

“Well, that’s that, I guess.”

The older mage sounded so defeated when he said this that Asanao pressed a repentant kiss to Reo’s temple.

“I’m sorry, Love.”

Reo leaned into the consoling touch and did his best to ignore how much he enjoyed that pet name.

“You’ve nothing to apologize for; you didn’t know it would happen.  Though I do wonder why I appear to be the only one affected by your… lack of proximity.”

Asanao smiled sheepishly.

“Well, it _did_ sorta feel like my heart and stomach were in a vice grip, but I just thought that was….”

“What?” Reo drew back, concern written on his face.  “Do you regularly have heart pain?  Is this something you should see a healer for?  I know several very good ones.  Heavens know where they are at the moment, but….”

His tirade was disrupted by a firm kiss.

“Who would have guessed you’re such a worrier!  No, I’m not ill.  I just thought it was because I hated the idea of leaving you so much.”

Reo’s cheeks coloured immediately.

“And that didn’t strike you as odd?  Do you typically get so attached that quickly?”

Phrased that way, it _was_ odd.  Asanao wasn’t the sort of person to become overly attached to someone just because he’d slept with them once or twice.  And yet it felt natural to be so devoted to Reo.  So inevitable that he _would_.

“Must be part of the bond thing,” he theorised.  “Will that fade after a while, d’you think, or are you going to be in pain any time I’m out of arm’s reach for the rest of your life?”

Reo rubbed at his sternum and pondered.  He hadn’t had the slightest twinge of pain since crawling into Asanao’s lap.  The thought of having to move, however, made his lungs prickle in unpleasant ways.  And sooner or later, he _would_ have to move; pragmatically, he realized that.

“It’s probably a matter how new this is,” he posited, as much to convince himself as for Asanao’s benefit.  “Something like that _would_ take a while to coalesce.  I suppose that means I’ve ruined your travel plans, haven’t I.”

Asanao wanted very much to tell Reo that he was, in fact, overjoyed to have a reason to stay.  To spend more time together.  He kept that to himself, however, since the older mage already thought him too invested.

“Let’s take things slowly and see,” suggested Asanao.  “At the very least, I need to go grab my pack and get the kids up.  D’you think you’ll be okay if I leave for a few minutes?”

The word “leave” made Reo’s throat tighten, but he clenched his jaw and fought against the anxiety.  If Asanao said it was only for a few minutes, surely he meant it.

“Only for a few minutes, Love, I swear.  I’ll be back before the bedding has time to cool down, yeah?”

Reo nodded. 

But once again, Asanao got no further than the corridor before the older mage was bent double struggling to draw air; and once again, all it took was a few seconds in Asanao’s arms and a few pecks to the cheek before he was completely fine.

“O-o-okay, we definitely can’t keep on like this.  Alternate plan.  Why don’t you get dressed and come with me?”

As excessive as that sounded, it was certainly superior to hyperventilating.  Reo gave a sigh of resignation and allowed the younger man to help him on with his kimono.  He had the suspicion it was going to be a long, frustrating day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the long-term consequences of one night's impulsive behaviour....


	4. Chapter 4

None of Asanao’s “kids” expressed any gratitude at being awakened; in fact, there was a good deal of cursing and several poorly-aimed kicks at him as one by one he shook them.  Nor did the atmosphere of the room improve when they rubbed their bleary eyes and discovered that “the weird guy pretending to read a book” was loitering in the doorway with their Nii-san’s daishō in his hand and pack slung over his shoulder.

Reo tried to ignore all of the glares and wary looks, reasoning that he too would likely have been disgruntled were he in their position.  Especially when weary and hung over.  Still, it was difficult not to take it personally, as their animosity was palpable.  The fact that Asanao was moving steadily further and further away from him didn’t help matters, but he did his best not to fall into an undignified panic spiral.  Having the tangible connection of Asanao’s rucksack hanging against his chest made this a bit easier.  A bag filled with Asanao’s belongings and suffused with Asanao’s scent.

 

Keeping a sharp eye on the older mage lest the span of a room prove to be too much for their fused magics to bear, Asanao drew Maki aside.  As the “leader” was slightly more sober than the rest, Asanao quickly explained in a low tone that something had arisen requiring prompt attention.  Because he didn’t know how long it would take to straighten everything out and as none of the others could afford an indefinite delay, he suggested that they all continue on their intended route without him, allowing Asanao to catch up with them if and when he could. 

Maki scowled over Asanao’s shoulder at the intruder and tried to pry out of his friend what exactly was going on and why his plans had changed so drastically overnight.  His suspiciousness was understandable, but not being able to explain the situation honestly without revealing that there was magic involved, Asanao simply asked the younger man to trust his judgment.  When that wasn’t sufficiently convincing, he pointed out that the alternative would involve Reo coming with them.  Not at all keen to have the peculiar stranger in their midst, Maki eventually gave up arguing.

Asanao took a short detour to temporarily stow his belongings in Reo’s room and then herded the groggy troupe down to breakfast, Reo drifting silently along like a second shadow.  As the younger mage had suspected, no amount of drowsiness or pounding heads could dampen enthusiasm for a bountiful meal.  The servant’s eyes widened in amazement as she tallied the number of eggs and bowls of rice they’d be needing, but the coins tossed on the table were enough to cover the expense, so she scurried off to warn the cook about the recently descended swarm of locusts.

When the food arrived and Asanao chose to sit with Reo at a separate table, several of the boys made loud protests, and the glaring resumed in earnest.  Yui in particular pouted and cast long, mooning glances in Asanao’s direction over his soup bowl.  The situation made Reo’s lungs prickle uncomfortably in his chest.

“Someone has a crush on you, I think,” he observed quietly.

“Who?”

Asanao was too focused on his food and the older mage’s condition to even bother turning to see.

“The pretty boy with the amber hair and pale eyes.”

“Eh, pretty?” Asanao frowned.

Though perhaps petty, Asanao didn’t particularly like the idea of Reo finding Yui pretty.

“You don’t think he is?” queried Reo.

“Dunno.  They’re all too young for me to be thinking about them that way.”

“They’re old enough to be traveling across the country without supervision.”

 _Old enough to be noticing you_, Reo added mentally.

“ _I’m_ their supervision.”

“Not any longer.”

Asanao merely grunted and continued with his sardines.  Reo could tell that was meant to be the end of the discussion, and though he wanted to know more about Asanao’s relationship with the other young men, he let the matter drop.  He turned his attention back to his own breakfast, eating unusually slowly out of concern that he might choke, despite Asanao being right at his side.  It didn’t matter how laboured his breathing became; he was _not_ going to succumb to the indignity of sitting in the younger man’s lap in public!

“I’ve been giving it some thought,” Asanao declared as he finished, “And as I see it, we really only have three options.  We can stay here indefinitely while we try to figure this thing out, or we can sort it out as we go.  You can join me on my journey, or I can come with you on yours.  Assuming your plan wasn’t to remain here, that is.”

 “Not permanently, no,” Reo shook his head. 

He spooned down the last of his breakfast and ruminated.  Undertaking an expedition through unfamiliar terrain with a man he’d known less than a full day was a foolish choice under even the best of circumstances, but he couldn’t deny the accuracy of Asanao’s assessment.

“I don’t think staying is a viable option.  I don’t want to be pessimistic, but whatever this is could take months to unravel.  We’d have to find a more permanent place to live, some form of employment to explain our presence, not to mention justification as to why we’re suddenly inseparable.”

“And we’d be trusting to luck that no one would come sniffing around asking problematic questions,” agreed Asanao.  “Certainly not my first choice.  So, where were you headed?”

“I was to meet up with an acquaintance – one of my master’s former pupils – three days ago.  But I was delayed by some nasty weather, and I’ve been unable to ascertain whether he’d been and gone already when I didn’t arrive on schedule, if he was caught in the storms too, or if… something happened.  We’d planned on going together as far as the border.  Beyond that, nothing specific had been settled.”

“Is that who you were looking for last night?”

Reo nodded with a wan smile.

“Rather conspicuously, it would seem.  What about you?  What’s your ultimate destination?”

“The White Mountains.  When rumours started filtering out of the Capitol, Sensei told us that if anything happened, we should gather under the protection of the dragons.  Of course, now folk are saying that she’s turned against them too, but I think that’s still where he and the others would be congregating.  My plan was to try to find them if I could.”

The prospect of a specific sanctuary with others of their kind, with a _sensei_ who might be able to shed light on their situation, heartened Reo considerably.

“I haven’t seen the White Mountains since I was a child.  How long will the journey take us, do you think?”

 

Soon after the empty dishes were cleared away, the eleven comrades gathered in front of the tavern in preparation to set off.  Reo kept his distance as best he could while staying close enough to Asanao that he could still breathe somewhat normally, seating himself on a bench near the door and re-laced his boots by way of having something unobtrusive to do.  Meanwhile, Asanao moved among his friends, checking the straps on bags and the edges of knife blades, issuing last-minute advice, and saying goodbye.  Most of the young men continued to banter as usual, though still in a subdued manner on account of how much everyone had drunk the night before, but Yui stood silently to one side, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

Asanao approached him last.

“All ready?” he asked rather awkwardly.

Yui chewed on his lower lip and scuffed his foot against the cobblestones.

“Maki-ani says you’re not coming with us.”

“Can’t,” Asanao shook his head.  “There’s something I’ve got to take care of here first.”

“Some _one_ , you mean,” retorted Yui, shooting a resentful glower at Reo.

Asanao didn’t argue.

“I don’t see why someone you only just met should be so much more important to you than the friends who have been with you for _weeks_.”

“I know you don’t see,” Asanao acknowledges, feeling more and more unsettled, “And I… can’t really explain it to you.  But it _is_ important that I stay.”

“But we need you.  You’ll catch up to us soon, though, won’t you?” Yui begged, desperately latching on to Asanao’s arm.

There was the nagging feeling in the back of Asanao’s mind that Reo was probably seeing and hearing all of this.  He hoped the older mage wasn’t getting the wrong impression.  Yes, he had at least allowed for the possibility that he might re-join them when he’d discussed the situation with Maki, but instinct told him that this was where their ways diverged permanently.  The thought saddened him a little, though not nearly as much as the idea of parting from Reo had done.

“I won’t make you a promise I can’t keep, Yui-kun.  That wouldn’t be right.”

Suddenly, Yui grabbed at the collar of Asanao’s kimono and pressed a forceful kiss to the older man’s lips.  Asanao stood rooted to the spot, his arms dangling limply at his side.

“Yui,” he muttered regretfully as he retreated from the contact.

The pain in the younger man’s expression chafed at Asanao’s conscience; he’d never intended to hurt anyone.  Yet, before he could say anything to apologize, Yui turned and bolted down the street.

“Yui!” Shuu called after him, worry evident in his voice.

As he watched Shuu rush off in pursuit, Asanao mused that there were quite a few things he’d overlooked about his young friends.  If Yui could learn to think of someone other than Asanao, there might be two fewer lonely men in the world.  He certainly hoped they might find happiness together, or at the very least that whatever heartache he’d caused would be brief.

His own thoughts immediately strayed back to his own personal source of heart ache and happiness.  Soft smile on his face, Asanao hastened to Reo’s side, while the rest of the group straggled off along the road following Yui and Shuu, Maki grumbling loudly at the rear of the party about them all leaving before he said so and that _he_ was the leader, dammit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** Shorter chapter this week, but as difficult as writing has been, we're lucky to have this much honestly. Hope it's not too disappointing.  
>  **2)** Yui did his best to push himself into Real Character Status. Brat.


	5. Chapter 5

Once the gang had disappeared among the bustle of the market, Asanao and Reo returned to the older mage’s room to collect their belongings and begin their own journey.

“What should we do about the horse?” Reo asked his companion as Asanao finished strapping on his weapons.

“Horse?” replied Asanao, confused.

“Yes, I came on horseback, but she’s a road mare.  I fear she’d turn an ankle in those rocky mountain passes.  And I wouldn’t give much for her stamina as a pack animal either; I bought her for speed.”

Asanao frowned.

“We’d be too conspicuous travelling together on the highway, and I’m not for bringing any more than what we can carry ourselves anyway.  I wonder if the blacksmith would buy her.”

Asanao suppressed a sigh.  With so many delays, they’d be lucky to be out of the town peripheries before moonrise.  Still, a few more coins in the purse might not be such a bad thing.  Assuming the fellow was a more honest negotiator than the tanner had been.

As it happened, it wasn’t that the blacksmith was a swindler, but that Reo was too willing to accept a first offer without any attempt at haggling.  Once again, Asanao’s scary face can in handy as the man underbid himself twice: first for the animal, then for the saddle and tack.

“It’s too much,” Reo protested as they made their way toward the outskirts of town.  “You should have let me give a bit back.”

“Spend it a generously as you wish, but the price was more than fair.”

Reo continued to grumble about taking advantage but kept within a few paces of Asanao’s side.  There would be time enough for testing the limitations of their new bond on their journey, but for the time being Reo preferred his breathing unconstrained.  They hurried along, weaving in and out of the bustle of the street and doing their best to remain as inconspicuous as possible.  The throng and the buildings thinned, and Asanao began a low tuneless whistle through his front teeth.

Reo felt the tug of the magic at work.

A stealth shield, he thought, or a glamour of some kind, allowing them to literally fade from sight.  He added his own small contribution to the flow, hoping to speed them fading from the memory as well.  It wasn’t much, but with these new combined powers, he didn’t dare risk more and accidentally cause the whole town to forget everything that had happened since he arrived.  Who knew what mischief that might bring.

“Memory charm, eh?” Asanao inquired approvingly.  “Sensible precaution.  Knew you were more powerful than most.”

 

They followed the main thoroughfare in companionable silence until they reached a place out of sight of any building where the roadside ditch shallowed enough for them to strike out into the cooler shadows of the forest.  The trek was rougher that way but Asanao heaved a sigh of relief to be away from prying eyes.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, turning his attention the older mage.  “Don’t let me get too far ahead if it makes you feel short of breath.”

Reo gave him an enigmatic look and took a deep lungful.

“It’s fine when you’re only a few paces away.  Fresh air helps too, I think, and the relief of being away from that place.  I dare say that makes me sound misanthropic.”

“No, I know just what you mean,” replied Asanao.  “Being surrounded by so many non-magic strangers always makes me uneasy.”

“Exactly.  Even though I can’t help thinking feeling that way just reinforces what they say about us being hostile and furtive.”

“We wouldn’t need to be furtive or hostile if they’d stop persecuting us.  But that argument’s a waste of oxygen at this point.”

Reo shoved aside a low-hanging branch.

“If it’s any consolation, I’m on your side of the debate.”

Asanao grinned and offered Reo a hand over a fallen trunk.

“Thrilled to have you on my side in any matter,” he declared.

Reo rolled his eyes.

“And here I thought the flirting was just an act.”

Something about the way he said this made Asanao think the older mage was annoyed by his behaviour.

“Sorry,” he offered.  “I’ll try to keep my admiration to myself from now on.”

For a while an awkward quiet reigned as they trudged onward on as straight a course as the thickening flora would permit.  Reo felt sorry for spoiling the genial mood, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to broach the topic.  It would sound egotistical now if he were to tell Asanao that he _wanted_ the younger mage’s admiration.

Instead he struck about for any alternate, safer subject.  And he soon landed on the obvious point of commonality between them: magic.

“You mentioned your Sensei back at the inn.  How long did you study with him?”

Asanao glanced over his shoulder at his companion.  This cold then hot approach of Reo’s – one moment friendly, the next remote – confused him immensely.  Still, he tried to make allowance for how much upheaval they’d experienced in the past 24 hours and focus on the gratifying fact that Reo was actually expressing interest in him.  Even if it was still only interest as related to his magic.

“Tough question,” he replied in a low voice.  “I didn’t have a traditional apprenticeship.”

“No?” Reo replied with obvious interest, “In what way?”

“Well my magical tendencies were a bit late in appearing.  As far as I know, no one else in my family has ever been a magic wielder.  So by the time I began to show an affinity, I’d already been sent to the local garrison to train as a soldier.  It was just luck that my first real assignment was as guide to Tetsu Sensei as he was inspecting new bridge constructions in the region.  He noticed my proclivity and requested that I accompany his regular contingent of guards when he returned to the palace.”

“Would that be Minister Kikuchi?” Reo asked, duly impressed when Asanao nodded.  “Sounds more like Fate than luck to me.  Tetsu Sensei of all the possible people!  I’m envious: to have had access to such a library.  Were you at his estate when the raid happened?”

Asanao’s fists and jaw clenched as he ground out:

“No.  But I _should_ have been. If I had, maybe things would have turned out differently.”

“’Differently’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘for the better’,” Reo reasoned pragmatically.  “You might have been arrested.  Unless you think you could have taken on an entire company of the Queen’s guard single-handedly.”

“Maybe not,” allowed Asanao sullenly, “But combat and defensive spells are my discipline.  I could have done _something_.”

“Ah.  That explains it,” murmured Reo.

“Explains what?”

“Your magic is very… er… sharply honed – rather more aggressive than what I’m used to.  But with you being a personal guard, that makes perfect sense.”

“Aggressive?”

“Mm, there’s an unyielding, metallic quality to it.”

“Guess I never noticed.”

“Of course you wouldn’t,” replied Reo with a dry laugh.  “You’d nothing to compare it to before.  Makes me curious what my magic feels like to you.”

Asanao considered for a few moments, running the stream of power back and forth between his fingers, trying to separate out “mine” from “yours”.  It was difficult, because the magic was already feeling much more homogenous – much more “ours” – than it had done when they first discovered the change.

“Compelling... like the irresistible pull of the tide,” Asanao smiled a shy apology.  “Sorry.  Pretty, flowery words aren’t really my forte.”

“That’s fine.  I prefer straightforward descriptions over insincere flattery anyway.”

Once again, Reo seemed to be inadvertently rebuking the younger mage for his flirting, and once again an uncomfortable silence fell between them.  Fortunately, Reo was able to recover faster this time by returning to their original conversation.

“So did you study with Tetsu Sensei one-on-one, or did he have other pupils as well?”

“Just me.  There were others who occasionally came to consult with him, but I was his only true pupil until he was forced into retirement.  I didn’t really notice at the time, but looking back now, magic was already something to be kept behind closed doors within the Capital.  My primary responsibility was still as a soldier, so we’d spend an hour or two after the evening meal studying.  I didn’t always have as much time to devote to my practice as you probably did; that’s why my powers are rather… lopsided.”

He hated saying so aloud, but there was no hiding the truth from Reo when Asanao’s magic now flowed through him too.  He hoped the older mage wouldn’t scorn him for his deficiencies.

“I hadn’t noticed anything of that sort,” Reo encouraged. 

 _There he goes again, from cold to hot._   Asanao forced back a sigh.

“Who’d you study under?”

“I was apprenticed to Master Muraishi.”

“I’ve heard of him.  Wasn’t he…?”

Not wanting to upset his companion, Asanao bit back the rest of that sentence.  Reo gave him a wry look, seeming to know exactly what his thought had been.

“Wasn’t he one of the first to be arrested after the proclamation was issued, you mean?  Yes, he was.  Stubborn old fool didn’t put up the slightest resistance.  We all tried to warn him, but he was convinced that he could disprove the all of the lies people were crediting about us just by going quietly.  I’m sure you can imagine how well that worked.”

Yes, Asanao knew exactly how much going quietly had accomplished.  Exactly nothing.

“Is he still incarcerated?”

Reo shrugged uncomfortably.

“I have no idea.  I pray so, since the alternative would be execution.”

There had been a time when Asanao would have dismissed as preposterous the idea of the Queen sentencing and executing magic wielders simply for using magic, but given the current political atmosphere, such things were no longer beyond the realm of possibility.  He cast his mind over the list of people he still knew in the Capital, wondering if he dared trust any of them enough to have them make discreet inquiries.

“Did you focus on any particular area of magic?” he asked, hoping to distract Reo from any melancholy in the meanwhile.

“I dabbled in a bit of this and that.  But my primary area of interest is the study of the study of magic.”

“Come again?”

“Learning how other people develop and use new spells,” Reo explained.  “Or the process of creating and refining new potions.  The evolution, the experimentation.  The way they discover that the time of year, the phase of the moon, even the inflection of the voice or movement of the wrist can influence a result.”

“Never really thought about _how_ it happens.”

“Most people don’t, I think.  But it’s really fascinating, and offers such insight into the nature of magic itself.  For example,” Reo continued animatedly, “There’s a potion to treat several skin conditions that calls for evergreen rosin as one of the ingredients.  Whoever created the original potion is long since dead, and the recipe doesn’t specify a species of plant.  Now Master Muraishi had a fascinating account of an acquaintance of his who had, for _years_ , used hinoki resin in her potion without really considering any alternatives.  But one summer, the tree she normally gathered from was struck by lightning and suffered significant damage, so she decided to use sugi resin instead while that particular tree was recovering from its injuries.  And what do you think happened?”

Asanao didn’t particularly care about skin care potions, but Reo’s enthusiasm was so charming that he found himself listening with rapt attention.

“No idea.  What?”

“The result was an adhesive so powerful that once it cooled, she couldn’t remove the spoon.  Turned out to be extremely useful, of course, but not at all what she’d been working toward.  Anyway, that drastic a difference sparked her curiosity, and she’s been experimenting with different conifer resins ever since.  She’d sent a letter to us every time something new or unexpected happened.

“And it isn’t just potions and ingredients where it makes a difference.  Have you ever had a spell that just didn’t quite do what you needed it to do, so you had to finesse it?  Put it through a bit of trial and error until you got it to cooperate: stress on a different syllable, altered hand position, something like that?”

“As a matter of fact…”

Asanao paused to reach back and offer Reo a hand up a particularly steep ridge.

“There’s a shielding spell – it’s meant to deflect the spell rather than absorb the shock.  When I first tried to learn it, I had a terrible time controlling the trajectory of the deflection.  For most things it doesn’t matter, but if you’re deflecting something particularly nasty or involving a fire element, it’s important to be able to avoid setting the nearest barn ablaze or injuring any bystanders.  In combat, collateral damage is the sign of a weak mage.”

“Yes, I can see how controlling the angle of deflection would be important.  And require a good deal of concentration.”

“Exactly, and this particular spell was proving very finicky.  I _could_ deflect very precisely, but it took so much of my concentration that I ended up leaving myself vulnerable to quick secondary attacks.  I was so frustrated with the damned thing, I nearly stopped using it entirely.”

“What happened to change your mind?”

“I used my other hand.”

Asanao laughed at Reo’s blank expression.

“It was purely accidental, but I threw up my left hand instead of my right, and it deflected perfectly.  Everything I’d been taught to that point had me using my dominant hand only or using both hands together as a pair.  It wasn’t until that accident that I started thinking of them as independent: one the weapon, one the shield.  And the difference from that point on was amazing.”

“That _is_ amazing,” Reo agreed, eyes alight with keen interest.

Staring into the other man’s face, it was all Asanao could do to keep from grabbing him up and kissing him senseless.  He cleared his throat roughly and turned his face upward toward the sky, pretending to study the weather as an excuse for hiding his flushed cheeks.

“Sun will be setting soon.  We’d better press on a bit further if we want to find somewhere to camp for the night falls.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **1)** In case it's unclear, Minister Kikuchi is Tetsu of D'erlanger; Master Muraishi is Muraishi Masayuki, drummer of the jazz/rock band Kenso. Reo once said he was a person he [admired](https://lysalie28.livejournal.com/19598.html).  
>  **2)** [Hinoki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamaecyparis_obtusa) and [sugi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptomeria) are both varieties of evergreen found in Japan. No, there isn't meant to be any hidden meaning here. Surprisingly. ^_^


End file.
